Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Friday, December 15, 2006
Count Me Skeptical
This was a big story yesterday:
Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army's chief of staff, said it was imperative that the Army increase its numbers for what he characterized as a long and dangerous war. "At this pace, without recurrent access to the reserve components, through remobilization, we will break the active component,"
Haven't we heard this before?

It's kind of difficult to believe military officials when they make these kind of predictions, and then the military never does "break". We've heard of the need for a draft for sometime as well, yet the Pentagon seems to increase forces in Iraq at will. Meanwhile recruiting numbers, while not spectacular, are keeping up albeit with huge incentives.

People, particularly military types, are going to have to vote with their feet if they want to be taken seriously. Grousing and complaining about "breaking" ain't gonna do it. Not re-upping or not going into the military is the only real threat and as of today, it's a non-threat as Bush moves to increase forces in Iraq with impunity.

So count me as someone who hears people like General Pace talk about the military collapsing and is, at least for the short term, skeptical.
Written at 9:06 AM by Greyhair.
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